Wild
woods thick with trees, tranquil stretches of rough grass, a car
approaching a mountainous road, surrounded by nothing but sweeps of
rocky landscape… Nature has taken over the Grand Palais in the heart of
Paris.Each year, Paris Photo inspires and surprises – usually
with its chosen theme. But this year there is no overriding story, apart
from an area devoted to women.

Yet, instead of the familiar, fleshy female nudes and
classic photographs of high fashion offering a historic female elegance,
there is a focus on the exterior world.

And not least in the colours. In the midst of
one of the most beautiful autumns in Europe, bringing golden leaves that
hang from their branches for two months, a visitor might expect to see
nothing but nature’s familiar colours. But the digital world has changed
all that.

I was fascinated by the effects of Yojiro Imasaka,
a photographer of Japanese origin now working out of the Miyako
Yoshinaga gallery in New York. Imasaka is described as “finding
inspiration in the hidden remnants of primeval nature”, but add to that
the 35-year-old’s interest in new technology and complex darkroom
processes. Toned gelatin silver prints on a green landscape, or
chromogenic prints illuminating trees in pink and yellow, produce an
astounding mix of nature and science. Trees – and especially the bony lines of winter branches – make a strong statement, especially from Nicolai Howalt at the Martin Asbaek Gallery, whose geometric squares encase all manner of nature’s winter visions.

How much has the intrusion of digital treatments
affected photography? I was drawn to an image of New York at night,
glimmering with colour, titled “Lights of New York, 1972” at Les Douches
– La Galerie. It was the work of Ernst Haas from the Seventies, developed as a C-print in 2015.

The most dramatic photographs I saw were at the School
Gallery, where gallerist Olivier Castaing has displayed arresting
pictures by Stephan Gladieu of young
children with ritually scarified skin made to look like tree bark, and
the photographer’s other fascinating series of images of North Korean
children looking as though they are part of the regime.

Christopher Wiesner, the Artistic Director of Paris
Photo, emphasises that offshoots of the central show can be found all
over Paris through the weekend. Artistic events have been popping up
throughout the autumn season, with some continuing after the main
exhibition closes on Sunday night.

A focus on women
is inevitable in the current climate, brought into the mix in the
“Curiosa” sector, featuring erotic images of women and what curator
Martha Kirszenbaum refers to as “tackling relations of power, domination
and gender issues”. All of that is included in the works of 13 artists
from Beirut, Budapest, Tokyo – and so many other places.

The power of Paris Photo is in its diversity, but also
in its sense of urgency, as though photographers are energised to
reflect changing and challenging times. I urge you to see it if you can.Paris Photo is open on Saturday 10th November from 12pm to 8pm and on Sunday 11th November from 12pm to 7pm; www.parisphoto.com